After Zara Cully died during the fifth season of the show, ratings weer already pretty low for the show. But, after she died and was permanently out of the show, ratings picked up and stayed in the top 20 for the rest of the series. So, my question is, if Zara hadn't died and was still in the show for the rest of it's run, would it have lasted as long as it did?

After Zara Cully died during the fifth season of the show, ratings weer already pretty low for the show. But, after she died and was permanently out of the show, ratings picked up and stayed in the top 20 for the rest of the series. So, my question is, if Zara hadn't died and was still in the show for the rest of it's run, would it have lasted as long as it did?


I don't think it would have made a difference since she was an ocassional character. I do think that her and louise probably would have no longer been arguing by the 1980's

After Zara Cully died during the fifth season of the show, ratings weer already pretty low for the show. But, after she died and was permanently out of the show, ratings picked up and stayed in the top 20 for the rest of the series. So, my question is, if Zara hadn't died and was still in the show for the rest of it's run, would it have lasted as long as it did?
Yea it still would have lasted 11 years. Ratings went up because the Jeffersons were moved to a better timeslot.

Yea it still would have lasted 11 years. Ratings went up because the Jeffersons were moved to a better timeslot.


Yup, the show went from saturday to Mon to Wednesday back to Saturday until it found it's magic night in 1979-SUNDAYS!!!!!!!!-lol

Yup, the show went from saturday to Mon to Wednesday back to Saturday until it found it's magic night in 1979-SUNDAYS!!!!!!!!-lol

It seems like after she died, the show got a lot of attention, if you can remember back to 1978-1979, and maybe people wanted to to tune in to the Jeffersons to see what was going to be done about it. That just my opinion. By the fourth season, the show wasn't even in the top 30 anymore, and can you really blame that on being a Saturday night show? It was on Saturday nights its first season and was in the top 10.

It seems like after she died, the show got a lot of attention, if you can remember back to 1978-1979, and maybe people wanted to to tune in to the Jeffersons to see what was going to be done about it. That just my opinion. By the fourth season, the show wasn't even in the top 30 anymore, and can you really blame that on being a Saturday night show? It was on Saturday nights its first season and was in the top 10.
Their was a differnce. During it's 1st season it was paired with All in the family. MTM, Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett were all on too. When it returned the shows on the lineup were Bob Newhart Show whch was fading, We've Got Each Other and The Tony Randall Show. Not very good shows. All of those shows were canceled at the end of the season. The Jeffersons were the only one of them to survive. ABC was starting to dominate the night around that time too. I watched the show regularly back then and to tell you the truth I didn't even know she died . I'm sure it was mentioned in the papers but I'm not sure how many people paid attention. Their wasn't the celebrity media on television like it is today.

Their was a differnce. During it's 1st season it was paired with All in the family. MTM, Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett were all on too. When it returned the shows on the lineup were Bob Newhart Show whch was fading, We've Got Each Other and The Tony Randall Show. Not very good shows. All of those shows were canceled at the end of the season. The Jeffersons were the only one of them to survive. ABC was starting to dominate the night around that time too. I watched the show regularly back then and to tell you the truth I didn't even know she died . I'm sure it was mentioned in the papers but I'm not sure how many people paid attention. Their wasn't the celebrity media on television like it is today.

Another thing is it was the first season, and since it was an All in the Family spinoff, I'm sure people were curious to see how those first 13 episodes were. But, by the second season, it went from being in the top 10 to out of the top 20, which proves that either no one was home on Saturday night, or no one was interested. Anyway, by the sixth season, the first season without Zara, it went from #30-something to top 10, which was just weird in my opinion. By the eighth season, it was the third highest rated show on television

Another thing is it was the first season, and since it was an All in the Family spinoff, I'm sure people were curious to see how those first 13 episodes were. But, by the second season, it went from being in the top 10 to out of the top 20, which proves that either no one was home on Saturday night, or no one was interested. Anyway, by the sixth season, the first season without Zara, it went from #30-something to top 10, which was just weird in my opinion. By the eighth season, it was the third highest rated show on television
All in the family was moved in the fall of 1975 and The Jeffersons had to lead off the night. They lost a lot of their audience. I think a lot of the Sunday night comedies like The Jeffersons, Alice and ODAAT benefited from being paired with one another. None of them suceeded to well when they went to another night. The exception of course was AITF. I just enjoyed watching that lineup and I guess a lot of other people did too.

It seems like after she died, the show got a lot of attention, if you can remember back to 1978-1979, and maybe people wanted to to tune in to the Jeffersons to see what was going to be done about it. That just my opinion. By the fourth season, the show wasn't even in the top 30 anymore, and can you really blame that on being a Saturday night show? It was on Saturday nights its first season and was in the top 10.


Well the first season was different because it was a NEW SHOW on saturday nights and on top of that it was a midseason replacement with only 13 episodes and aired after the number 1 show in the country-"All in the Family"

Another thing is it was the first season, and since it was an All in the Family spinoff, I'm sure people were curious to see how those first 13 episodes were. But, by the second season, it went from being in the top 10 to out of the top 20, which proves that either no one was home on Saturday night, or no one was interested. Anyway, by the sixth season, the first season without Zara, it went from #30-something to top 10, which was just weird in my opinion. By the eighth season, it was the third highest rated show on television


The show that started giving the Jeffersons competition in the 70's was

Starky and hutch
Bionic Woman
Little House on the Prarie
Eight is Enough
Charlie's Angels


Once the 80's started the Jeffersons only compeition on Sunday Night from 1979 to 1985 was

ABC sunday movie
The Big event
NBC sunday Movie



So that's why the show went up in the Ratings

I hate to say it but I think her dying helped the show.

If you think about it after they got rid of her, the Lionels/ and Jenny. They gave more lines to Florence and I believe the show was most popular after Florence moved in and started " smart mouthing" George and whoever else came by the apartment.

I think The Jeffersons would have lasted 12 Year's if Zara Cully was still Alive

I hate to say it but I think her dying helped the show.

If you think about it after they got rid of her, the Lionels/ and Jenny. They gave more lines to Florence and I believe the show was most popular after Florence moved in and started " smart mouthing" George and whoever else came by the apartment.


No I think Sunday Nights helped the show

did they stay on Sunday Night's from Day 1

I hate to say it but I think her dying helped the show.

If you think about it after they got rid of her, the Lionels/ and Jenny. They gave more lines to Florence and I believe the show was most popular after Florence moved in and started " smart mouthing" George and whoever else came by the apartment.

Finally, someone here who actually agrees with me! I just thought that her charactre was very boring beginning in the third season, and I wasn't glad to see her die or anything. I was just glad to see her not on the show. But, after hearing everyone here, Sunday night definitely helped the show. Saturday night was the night to watch telelvision then, but when All in the Family left, it wasn't, which is why the Jeffersons fell so drastically ratingswise.

But, by it's final season, didn't it move back to Saturday nights for awhile?

Mother Jefferson was good in "little doses" not as a starring character or central character. I missed seeing her after she died, but I don't think she needed to be seen more than she already was.

Finally, someone here who actually agrees with me! I just thought that her charactre was very boring beginning in the third season, and I wasn't glad to see her die or anything. I was just glad to see her not on the show. But, after hearing everyone here, Sunday night definitely helped the show. Saturday night was the night to watch telelvision then, but when All in the Family left, it wasn't, which is why the Jeffersons fell so drastically ratingswise.

But, by it's final season, didn't it move back to Saturday nights for awhile?


I feel the same, I never like her character and felt season 4 was so much better with her not there. The show was moved to Tuesday Nights in the Final Season

Finally, someone here who actually agrees with me! I just thought that her charactre was very boring beginning in the third season, and I wasn't glad to see her die or anything. I was just glad to see her not on the show. But, after hearing everyone here, Sunday night definitely helped the show. Saturday night was the night to watch telelvision then, but when All in the Family left, it wasn't, which is why the Jeffersons fell so drastically ratingswise.

But, by it's final season, didn't it move back to Saturday nights for awhile?
It moved to Tuesdays opposite the red Hot A-Team. It was sent there to die.

Tuesday nights, that's it. Now here's another question. was the show cancelled because it was moved against the A-Team, or was it declining in ratings because the times were changing? By 1984, The Cosby Show was taking over the airwaves, and that was nothing like The Jeffersons in a sense. I think by that time, people preferred watching a nice family comedy instead of another season of jive-talking George Jefferson.

Tuesday nights, that's it. Now here's another question. was the show cancelled because it was moved against the A-Team, or was it declining in ratings because the times were changing? By 1984, The Cosby Show was taking over the airwaves, and that was nothing like The Jeffersons in a sense. I think by that time, people preferred watching a nice family comedy instead of another season of jive-talking George Jefferson.
The Jeffersons started the season on Sundays and ratings were down. It came on after Murder She Wrote which was also a hot show. In about December of 1984 it and Alice were moved to Tuesdays and the ratings just fell apart. Alice had enough sense to write a final episode but I guess the Jefferson producers were in a state of denial. They actually thought they were coming back I guess. As soon as they moved I knew the show was dead.

Sundays Night Definitely Saved The Show From Cancellation,it was almost canceled in both the 77-78 and 78-79 season Because of of Dropping Ratings. The blame go To Cbs Because they changed the timeslots and nights 9 different Times Between Season 2-Season 5 Which Cause The Ratings to drop in season 2-5.
In It First Season it was on Saturday Nights Which Was Led by it Spinoff and The Number 1 Show At The Time All In The Family which Helped The Jeffersons into the top 10s.
By It Second Season All In The Family Moved To Mondays Night And The Jeffersons Stayed On Saturday Night Where It Led the Night Followed By Doc,Mary Tyler Moore Show,Bob Newhart And The Carol Burrnet Show Which None Of Them Made it into the top 10s that year,The Jeffersons Ratings To a Dive While All In The Family Was Still The Number 1 Show On Television.
In October 1976 The Jeffersons Moved To Wednesday at 8:00pm With Another Norman Lear show Good times Which now aired at 9:00pm(the Ratings For Good Times were Now Slipping)
Then In January 1977 The Jeffersons Moved to Monday at 8:00pm Where it replaced the now Departure Rhoda And Was Followed by 3 Other shows that had now drop out of the top 20s Phyllis, The Other All In The Family Spinoff Maude And All Fair.
In September 1977 the Jeffersons Returned to Saturday Nights at 9:00pm Where it Followed Bob Newhat And We've Got Eachother And Tony Randell And Carol Burrnet Followed The Jeffersons None of The Shows Made it into the tops 20s As The Jeffersons Ratings Continued To Slip and By Season end In March The Jeffersons Were Not Out Of The Top 30s And The Jeffersons Almost Were Canceled But Was Renewed.
By The Start Of If Fifth Season In The Fall Of 1978 The Show was now on Wednesday Nights at 8:00pm Which Was Followed By The now Failed Good Times And Cbs Wednesday Night Movies And By This Point Maude Was Off The Air, All In the Family(Now In It Last Season Was Still In The Top 10)As Was One Day At A Time And Good Times was Now In It Last Season(The Ratings Had Declined Since 1976 And would Finish In 84th Place) And The Jeffersons Ratings Continued To Sink And The Jeffersons were Almost Canclled.

but By June 1979 Cbs Placed The Jeffersons on Sundays Nights at 9:00pm And Followed 60 Minutes,Archie Bunker Place(The Once All In The Family),Alice,One Day At A Time And Trapper John Md Followed The Jeffersons
And When The Jeffersons Started It Sixth Season, It Ratings had declined in the last 4 seasons but In The Fall of 1979 The Ratings Skyrocked Back To top 10s where it would Rank 8th Place By Season End And Surpassed it Parent Series all In The Family.
The Show Was Renewed For A 7th Season And was Again Placed On Sundays Nights at 9:30pm With The Same Linup as the Year Before The Ratings Continued To Climb A Bit More and finished At Number 6 by season end And Was Renewed For A 8th Season.
The Jeffersons Returned In The Fall Of 1981 With The Same Night The Same Time And Still The Same Lineup,The Jeffersons Rancked 3rd Place It Best Ratings It Would ever Get.
At The Start Of The 1982-1983 Season The Shows 9th Season The Jeffersons Saw Another Decline(Althought not as bad as the first time)They Dropped From 3rd Place To 12th Place But The Jeffersons Stayed On Sundays Nights And Continued to Be A Ratings Hit.
at The Start of it 10th Season(!983-1984)The Jeffersons Took Another Slip In The Ratings And Now Ranked 19th Place And It Was that By This Point That The Show Was tired And Stale.
By The Time The Jeffersons Reached It 11th And Finale Season it Was Clear That The Jeffersons was Showing it age and was now tired and stale The Last Couple Of Seasons Along With Season 11 were weak And the Jeffersons Saw A Huge Ratings Drop When They Went From 19th Place to 56th Place And Moved To Tuesday Nights toward The end Of It 11th Season ,By This Time The Jefferson Was The Only Norman Lear Show Still On The Air.
The Jeffersons Were Canceled in 1985 due To Failing Ratings And Were Not Told And The Cast Did Not Get The Chance To Air a finale Episode.
I Think The Ratings Declined in Season 2-5 Because Cbs Kept Moving The Show And I think The Ratings Droped in season 9-11 Was Because It Stayed to Long
.
the Jeffersons Could Have Did Just As Good in The 70s As The 80S If Cbs Had Just Kept The Show Alone Or Kept it close To A Cbs Show That had some of the best ratings.

WOW!!!!! great post! ^^^^^^^^ :wave:

I agree. Very good post. :)

Sundays Night Definitely Saved The Show From Cancellation,it was almost canceled in both the 77-78 and 78-79 season Because of of Dropping Ratings. The blame go To Cbs Because they changed the timeslots and nights 9 different Times Between Season 2-Season 5 Which Cause The Ratings to drop in season 2-5.
In It First Season it was on Saturday Nights Which Was Led by it Spinoff and The Number 1 Show At The Time All In The Family which Helped The Jeffersons into the top 10s.
By It Second Season All In The Family Moved To Mondays Night And The Jeffersons Stayed On Saturday Night Where It Led the Night Followed By Doc,Mary Tyler Moore Show,Bob Newhart And The Carol Burrnet Show Which None Of Them Made it into the top 10s that year,The Jeffersons Ratings To a Dive While All In The Family Was Still The Number 1 Show On Television.
In October 1976 The Jeffersons Moved To Wednesday at 8:00pm With Another Norman Lear show Good times Which now aired at 9:00pm(the Ratings For Good Times were Now Slipping)
Then In January 1977 The Jeffersons Moved to Monday at 8:00pm Where it replaced the now Departure Rhoda And Was Followed by 3 Other shows that had now drop out of the top 20s Phyllis, The Other All In The Family Spinoff Maude And All Fair.
In September 1977 the Jeffersons Returned to Saturday Nights at 9:00pm Where it Followed Bob Newhat And We've Got Eachother And Tony Randell And Carol Burrnet Followed The Jeffersons None of The Shows Made it into the tops 20s As The Jeffersons Ratings Continued To Slip and By Season end In March The Jeffersons Were Not Out Of The Top 30s And The Jeffersons Almost Were Canceled But Was Renewed.
By The Start Of If Fifth Season In The Fall Of 1978 The Show was now on Wednesday Nights at 8:00pm Which Was Followed By The now Failed Good Times And Cbs Wednesday Night Movies And By This Point Maude Was Off The Air, All In the Family(Now In It Last Season Was Still In The Top 10)As Was One Day At A Time And Good Times was Now In It Last Season(The Ratings Had Declined Since 1976 And would Finish In 84th Place) And The Jeffersons Ratings Continued To Sink And The Jeffersons were Almost Canclled.

but By June 1979 Cbs Placed The Jeffersons on Sundays Nights at 9:00pm And Followed 60 Minutes,Archie Bunker Place(The Once All In The Family),Alice,One Day At A Time And Trapper John Md Followed The Jeffersons
And When The Jeffersons Started It Sixth Season, It Ratings had declined in the last 4 seasons but In The Fall of 1979 The Ratings Skyrocked Back To top 10s where it would Rank 8th Place By Season End And Surpassed it Parent Series all In The Family.
The Show Was Renewed For A 7th Season And was Again Placed On Sundays Nights at 9:30pm With The Same Linup as the Year Before The Ratings Continued To Climb A Bit More and finished At Number 6 by season end And Was Renewed For A 8th Season.
The Jeffersons Returned In The Fall Of 1981 With The Same Night The Same Time And Still The Same Lineup,The Jeffersons Rancked 3rd Place It Best Ratings It Would ever Get.
At The Start Of The 1982-1983 Season The Shows 9th Season The Jeffersons Saw Another Decline(Althought not as bad as the first time)They Dropped From 3rd Place To 12th Place But The Jeffersons Stayed On Sundays Nights And Continued to Be A Ratings Hit.
at The Start of it 10th Season(!983-1984)The Jeffersons Took Another Slip In The Ratings And Now Ranked 19th Place And It Was that By This Point That The Show Was tired And Stale.
By The Time The Jeffersons Reached It 11th And Finale Season it Was Clear That The Jeffersons was Showing it age and was now tired and stale The Last Couple Of Seasons Along With Season 11 were weak And the Jeffersons Saw A Huge Ratings Drop When They Went From 19th Place to 56th Place And Moved To Tuesday Nights toward The end Of It 11th Season ,By This Time The Jefferson Was The Only Norman Lear Show Still On The Air.
The Jeffersons Were Canceled in 1985 due To Failing Ratings And Were Not Told And The Cast Did Not Get The Chance To Air a finale Episode.
I Think The Ratings Declined in Season 2-5 Because Cbs Kept Moving The Show And I think The Ratings Droped in season 9-11 Was Because It Stayed to Long
.
the Jeffersons Could Have Did Just As Good in The 70s As The 80S If Cbs Had Just Kept The Show Alone Or Kept it close To A Cbs Show That had some of the best ratings.

What should had been the question was could the show gone down as a classic in same vein as All In the Family if they would had sense enough to pull the plug after season 7??? After season 7 on the show got stale and tired. The plots were not entertaining to watch. Mother Jefferson was truly missed when she passed away. She was quite a trouper. Her last three episodes were painful to watch because you can tell she was suffering but she was hanging in there. Her and Louise going at it was priceless and funny. She brought the best out of Louise. Mother Jefferson was not a main character but her presence on the show added spice to it.

I Think The Jeffersons could have Been The Numer 1 show for aleast 3 or 4 years in the 70 If Cbs Didn't Keep Moving it.